Camellia plant named &#39;HA5110&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Camellia  plant named ‘HA5110’, characterized by its sturdy upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit, dense and bushy appearance; leathery dark green-colored leaves; long flowering period; light red-colored rose-double to peony-type form flowers; and good garden performance including tolerance to full sunlight conditions.

Botanical designation: Camellia changii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HA5110’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Camellia plant, botanically known as Camellia changii, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘HA5110’.

The new Camellia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Zhaoqing, China. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Camellia plants that flower year-round and tolerate full sunlight.

The new Camellia plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventors in October, 2011 in Zhaoqing, China of an unnamed seedling selection of Camellia changii, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Camellia changii ‘Xiari Taige’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Camellia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Zhaoqing, China in August, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Camellia plant by grafting cuttings onto an unnamed selection of Camellia gaozhouensis, not patented, in a controlled greenhouse environment in Zhaoqing, China has shown that the unique features of this new Camellia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Camellia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘HA5110’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘HA5110’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Camellia:

-   -   1. Sturdy upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy appearance.     -   4. Leathery dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Light red-colored rose-double to peony-type form flowers.     -   7. Good garden performance, tolerant to full sunlight         conditions.

Plants of the new Camellia differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Camellia are obovate in shape         whereas leaves of plants of the female parent selection are         lanceolate in shape.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Camellia are rose-double to         peony-type in form whereas flowers of the female parent         selection are single in form.

Plants of the new Camellia differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Xiari Taige’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Camellia are obovate in shape         whereas leaves of plants of ‘Xiari Taige’ are elliptical in         shape.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Camellia are rose-double to         peony-type in form whereas flowers of ‘Xiari Taige’ are         semi-double to peony-type in form.

Plants of the new Camellia can be compared to the plants of Camellia japonica ‘Marie Bracey’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Camellia differ from plants of the ‘Marie Bracey’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Camellia are obovate in shape         whereas leaves of plants of ‘Marie Bracey’ are oblong in shape.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Camellia are rose-double to         peony-type in form whereas flowers of ‘Marie Bracey’ are         semi-double to peony-type in form.     -   3. Plants of the new Camellia flower for a longer period of time         than plants of ‘Marie Bracey’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Camellia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Camellia plant. The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘HA5110’ grown in an outdoor nursery. The photograph on the second sheet are close-up views of the lower surface of a typical leaf, typical terminal branches with different stages of developing flower buds, a typical developing flower bud and a typical terminal branch with a fully open flower of ‘HA5110’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Zhaoqing, China in ground beds in an outdoor nursery during the late spring and early summer and under cultural practices typical of commercial Camellia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 33° C. and night temperatures ranged from 11° C. to 26° C. Plants were five years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Camellia changii ‘HA5110’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of             Camellia changii, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Camellia changii ‘Xiari Taige’, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By grafting cuttings onto a rootstock, an unnamed             selection of Camellia gaozhouensis, not patented.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             months days at temperatures about 28° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             months days at temperatures about 8° C. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub;             sturdy upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; about three primary             lateral branches each with about three to four secondary             branches; dense and bushy appearance.         -   Plant height.—About 96 cm.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 58 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 50 cm. Diameter:             About 1 cm. Internode length: About 6.3 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Upright to about 10° to 20° from vertical.             Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy; woody with             development. Color, young stems: Close to 165A. Color, older             stems: Close to 198A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 9.1 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:             Obtuse to acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Venation             pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Texture and luster, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous; leathery; moderately glossy.             Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery; matte. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface:             Close to 147A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             137B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A;             venation, close to 137C; color becoming closer to 137C             during the autumn. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:             Close to 137B; venation, close to 146A; color does not             change during the autumn.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture             and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 143A. Color,             lower surface: Close to 143C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Rose-double to peony-type             rotate flowers, flowers terminal and axillary; freely             flowering habit with usually about 137 flowers and flower             buds developing per plant; flowers face mostly outwardly.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Camellia flower             year-round in Zhaoqing, China.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Plants maintain good flower             substance for about three to four days on the plant; flowers             persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—About 9.1 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 cm.             Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery; matte. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Petals and petaloids.—Quantity and arrangement: About 43             imbricate petals and petaloids arranged in numerous whorls.             Length: About 4.8 cm to 5.1 cm. Width: About 2.6 cm to             2.7 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obcordate to cordate. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; silky;             matte. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 51A; venation, close to 51A; color does not change             with development. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 52A; venation, close to 52A; color does             not change with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About four imbricate             sepals arranged in an ovate-shaped calyx. Length: About             1.3 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Cuspidate.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; leathery; matte.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to N144C. When             opening, lower surface: Close to N144D. Fully opened, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to N144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Aspect:             About 30° to 45° from stem axis. Strength: Strong. Texture             and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Close to 146B             and 137A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower:             About 111. Filament length: About 3 cm. Filament color:             Close to 38B. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther size:             About 2 mm by 3 mm. Anther color: Close to 14A. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 14A. Gynoecium:             Quantity of pistils per flower: About five to six. Pistil             length: About 2.5 cm. Style length: About 2.5 cm. Style             color: Close to 2D. Stigma diameter: About 4 mm. Stigma             color: Close to 2D. Ovary color: Close to 10A.         -   Fruits and seeds.—Fruit and seed production have not been             observed on plants of the new Camellia to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Camellia have been observed     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind, full     sunlight and temperatures ranging from about −10° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Camellia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Camellia     plants to date. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Camellia plant named ‘HA5110’ as illustrated and described. 